With the holiday season quickly approaching, it’s time to start thinking about family pictures. Where will you take them?  How will you dress? (More on that later.)  How should you pose to look skinniest? How can you flatter your face?

Picture by Kristin at Pickled Pepper Photography

Locations: Would your family ever really spend time here?

At the risk of being mildly offensive, I’m going to tell you my opinion on family picture locations.  There is a trend going around to have your pictures taken in locations that offer a lot of visual juxtaposition.  An example that stands out in my mind is babies sitting on train tracks, or old old beat up trucks.

If that is your style, or if your family are train people, then by all means, take your picture there. But if you are just ‘going with the flow’ then stop for a second and ask yourself, “When would my baby or my family ever really be sitting on train tracks? Is this really how I want to remember this time in our lives?”

Choose an environment natural to your family

Choose a place that represents who your family is. If you like sporting events, consider a baseball diamond, a court, etc. If you like camping, then head up the mountains. Why not a park? How about some place in nature with a neutral background?  Urban? Or, and I think more families should do this, how about your front porch, or gathered in the kitchen?

The point is to think carefully about the location and choose something that fits your family. Don’t be at mercy to the photographer and whatever they think will look good in their portfolio.  Hopefully you will be looking at these pictures for a long time–or at least the next year!